how to ensure yaya/maid is not stealing from you?

[vain_kixie]

Aside from locking the bedroom and putting valuables inside the safe... what other precautionary measures do you do to ensure your helpers are not stealing from you?

May helpers kasi pati small stuff kinukuha nakaka irita like clothes, slippers etc..

[amethyst028]

hindi natin maiiwasan na maging ganun. samin din isang maid namin pati socks, hand towel at lampin kinukuha pinapadala sa province. 9 kasi kapatid niya and karamihan maliliit pa at nag aaral so ang tendency mga gamit ng son ko ang nawawala. lalabhan niya then hindi na makikita ulit.

the best siguro is get a maid na hindi talaga malikot ang kamay. we had a maid na kahit mag iwan ka ng madaming pera sa room ni piso hindi mawawala. one time kasi my brother left p50k na puro tig 1000 peso bill walang nawala kahit nag linis ng room yung maid. sakin din minsan may pera sa pants ko then naglaba yung maid binabalik sakin yung pera basa na pero andun. minsan mga 20's, 50's may time na 2000 naiwan ko sa pocket binalik naman. even jewelries walang nawawala at hindi ginagalaw sa room.

pero i think wala nang ganun ngayon sobrang bihira na. isipin mo na lang na kasama siya sa gastos niyo pag may nawala. as long as small things lang. lahat ng tao may needs and sa liit ng sweldo nila parang charity na sa kanila yun.

[cheezecake]

there's really no way to ensure that dahil kahit ano naman kinukuha nila pati mga things na hindi important sayo kinukuha pa rin nila

[aquacharly]

How to ensure ...?
No such guarantees....  But you can minimize or discourage thievery by being vigilant and controlling the amount of stuff you own.
If you have out in your home only stuff you regularly use -- ma hirap kang manakawan.  Maids swipe what they assess na hindi mo mapapansin agad as nawala, or what hindi mo ma nail down as sya kumuha.
(All other stuff, I lock up in my bodega.  I even have a smaller locked  up walk in pantry for groceries not to be used within the week.   My oldest maid has a Rubbermaid cabinet she controls with a lock,  since she controls cleaning supplies & detergents.  If may nangungupit pa dyan well - minimal pilferage na lang.)

You must also have a system for your laundry & its prompt & orderly return -- so that  hindi sila campante puede ang excuse:  naka sampay pa.
A system for other stuff:  basically, a permanent place for everything para madali makita if missing.
Assign responsibility.  For example, until an item is returned to the closets, the lavandera is responsible (and liable, I stress) for any losses.  She is not allowed into the rooms, so stealing from rooms can be pinned down to the yayas/cleaner.   We even have a notebook to list down certain items sent down for laundry/dry cleaning/Metropole -- so claro where.  Some items, I photo with my cell phone para menos  ang mga:  ha? Wala po akong alam na ganon.

Basically, mahirap ako  manakawan coz I control the quantity of  what we own/use.  It takes discipline on our part.  But I do not feel deprived.  We still own a lot, but I am able to determine clearly what is not frequently used/consumed so it goes into locked  storage.
Another thing, I clearly state prior to start of employment: matiaga ako magpa kulong ng magnanakaw.  I have done it once with a maid, they know.

Excess breeds loose controls, inattention ... it all encourages thievery.
I try to live like the Japanese...  control my acquisitiveness, but live a high quality life.
Clutter is not part of their lives, I noticed.

[madhel1025]

Mas maganda siguro kung may CCTV Camera ka sa bahay para nakikita mo pag dating mo sa bahay kung ano ginawa ng kasambahay mo, nanonood lang ba siya ,kung may kinuha sayo , kung nagpapapasok ng kung sino-sino sa loob ng bahay .

[aquacharly]

What am I trying to say?

We should discipline ourselves to have out of our locked bodegas only what we frequently use and/or see (decor).  That way,  there is less of anything that is tempting to steal como hindi agad ma realize na bawas na or missing na.

CCTVs are great, I use them extensively even sa project sites namin (cuts down on payroll padding, or on laborers bumming at work).
 But it is better to have a set up that discourages thievery or misdeeds.  Kasi pag nabuko na sa CCTV - eh di,  show the exit door.   Sayang if good worker, nawalan ka pa ng trained or to your-house-broken maid kasi in a moment of weakness, she acted on her lapse of better judgment.

I heard years ago from my sister that her maids pocket part of their food budget, and steal/ kupit from the family food stocks.  Yung Coke litro tastes watered down.  Yun pala --  the maids get coke and oo nga, add water.  Susko, pati yon pinatulan  ng ganon.
I took note of the cuento. I have only those bottled coke 500ml or canned cokes. Basta, single consumption --  even juice drinks.   Even the snacks --  solo serve packaging.  It is easier to monitor food in small portions or packaging -- so I mind that. 

Only 1 maid goes into and cleans our dressing room & bedroom. 
So I do that, assign specific responsibility for certain stocks &/or areas. 
Fear of getting caught is good motivation for not stealing, IMO.  Hindi ako umaasa sa good morals and right conduct. 

My hubby and I now have a big piggy bank (actually a huge yellow  ducky) all coins &  paper bills tamad to put back in wallet (ako yon) from bag & pockets go there, whenever we undress/change.
Don't tempt them -- kasalanan din natin at times.

As for jewelry -- I have decided which pieces I want to wear together.  So I have several combinations/iterations.
What I want/need to use in a month is all that I have in my house safe. Everything else in the bank SDB.
I have trained myself na ang out of the safe are just what I took off at day's end.
If I have a PM event, or the next day - I want another combination -- I must put back what is outside before getting out what I need.  That way, madali at any time to see if may nawawala.

I also train the kids to mind their possessions.  Start them young, very.   For example, Sinasabay ko na sa simple math:   Counting.   tapos, add and take-aways.   Count your clothes, your shoes, your dolls, etc
I train them early to put away their stuff and be orderly by saying monsters like messy rooms. Oo, may sasabihin ang child psychiatrist siguro na it is not good to motivate with fear. BUT IMO, there are worse things to fear than monsters if a child grows up disorganized. 
( Hahaha. Yeah, I am OC at multi tasking. )
Mindfulness discourages thievery too di ba.  (after all, we work for what we have; we do not kurakot. So mga sis, dapat hindi tayo pabaya

[nicoletta]

So far, I am lucky that with my HH in our new home, wala pa naman nawawala.  I stay in the same room as my yaya so my bag is in the same room pero I put it in the closet na walang lock.  I limit the money I put inside so they don't get tempted to get money from me.  Luckily, the minimal money I put in there, they don't get naman.

[Angelite]

Hide the temptations.
Have cctv.
Have a regular check of your inventory.

[WandaWits]

For prevention naman.. If the maid has no NBI clearance, what other better requirements can we ask from her?